US 2007/0057551 A1 describes a vehicle seat with a supporting surface, which is comprised of the seat portion of the vehicle seat and serves to support the vehicle passenger. Arranged inside the seat portion of the known vehicle seat is a variable-shape, inflatable aircushion. The aircushion is here situated between two hinged plates. Further provided is a pump for inflating and/or evacuating the aircushion. In order to vary the contour of the supporting surface of the seat portion, the aircushion is inflated with a pneumatic system, so that the one plate is swiveled relative to the other plate. The swiveled plate acts equally on the seat portion of the vehicle seat so as to vary the contour of the supporting surface. Since the mentioned flaps and mentioned aircushion are arranged inside the sidewall of the seat portion of the known vehicle, the height of the mentioned sidewall and its inclination can hence be varied by inflating or evacuating the aircushion, so as to achieve a more precise adaptation to the respective vehicle passenger.
While the known vehicle seats with variable-shape aircushions for changing the contour of the supporting surface have proven effective, they are disadvantageous from the standpoint that their structural design is particularly complicated, and hence cost-intensive, which can be attributed especially to the required pneumatic system, which routinely encompasses a pump and corresponding connecting lines to link the pump with the aircushion. In addition, a high outlay is involved in ensuring the tightness of the pneumatic system.
Therefore, at least one object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seat with a supporting surface and a variable-shape aircushion, with which the contour of the supporting surface can be changed, wherein the vehicle seat is to exhibit an especially simple structural design. A further object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle with such an advantageous vehicle seat. In addition, other objects, desirable features, and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.